Tenants get ‘Smartwater’ help on East End estate to protect their smartphones
Tenant Jackie Harris talking to Andrew Nowakowski from Circle Housing and Pol Sgt Carl Sampson about using SmartWater on her possessions [pictures: Arnaud Stephenson] - Credit: photo: Arnaud Stephenson
Families have been getting smart with their valuables in tackling the wave of theft and burglary in London’s East End.
Applying SmartWater to a smart-phone, most common item stolen - Credit: photo: Arnaud Stephenson
They’ve been given ‘Smartwater’ kits by housing officials on their estate.
Police officers toured the Ranwell West Estate in Bromley-by-Bow with officials from Circle Housing showing tenants how to mark their possessions with the unique “DNA liquid” to make them more secure.
The high-tech kit have traceable liquid that contains a unique forensic code, which can be applied to almost any item. Once dry, the liquid is almost impossible to remove and can only be seen under ultraviolet light.
Smart work... now thief can be linked to a stolen smartphone or other valuables by telltail 'Smartwater DNA' - Credit: photo: Arnaud Stephenson
“It only takes a few minutes to dab items throughout your house,” Circle Housing’s Andrew Nowakowski said. “But it can save hassle if you later become a victim of burglary.”
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Valuables that have been ‘water marked’ can be returned to their owners if police subsequently recover stolen property.
SmartWater’s chief executive Phil Cleary said: “This unique traceability method has already helped police in hundreds of convictions when used as evidence in court.”
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It also acts as a deterrent to would-be burglars because it directly links them to a crime scene if they are caught possessing marked property, housing officials point out.
